Former presidential candidate Uss threatened with criminal prosecution for calls for EU sanctions

The Prosecutor General's Office has
threatened Dzmitry Uss (Vus), an opposition candidate in Belarus' 2010
presidential election, with criminal prosecution if he continues to call
on the European Union to impose economic sanctions against Belarus, BelaPAN said.

During
an interview that took place at the Prosecutor General's Office on
Thursday, Mr. Uss was told that he might be charged under the Criminal
Code's Article 361, which penalizes actions that may be damaging to
Belarus' sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and
defense capability.

In an open letter sent to EU foreign policy
chief Catherine Ashton last month, Mr. Uss urged the 27-nation bloc to
impose economic sanctions against the Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime to
"help save the country from plunging deeper into crisis."

"They asked me whether I would continue to call for sanctions," Mr. Uss told BelaPAN.
"If they don't release the political prisoners, change the electoral
system, grant access to the state media to the Belarusian opposition and
public figures, I will continue to call for economic sanctions against
the lackey oligarchs who control the country's oil industry.

This is 44 percent of the budget of the Republic of
Belarus! If the regime doesn't step on the path of liberalization, both
political and economic, I will call for economic sanctions against
courtier businessmen."